Clip type earring



June 5, 1945. L w, HUBB'EL'L 2,377,688

CLIP TYPE EARRING Filed Dec. 18, 1943 I gawwvtom [8115 I44 l/uearu.

Patented June 5, 19 45 Rossett Y CLIP TYPE EARRING :Leslie Hubbell, Cheshire, Conn assignor .to p The Ball ,& Socket Manufacturing .00., West Cheshire, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application December 18, 194:, SerialNn. 514x27 7 Claims, ,(o1. 63-20) This invention relates to clips and more particularly to a type useful in nonpiercing earrings.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a clip construction for earrings which is. rugged and economical and which may be worn with comfort and with eel-taint; of retention .overlong periods of time. g i It is a further object oi the present invention to adapt conventional button backs aforthe reposition with the junction enduof the bifurcated clip adjacent to the button back. It is :a further object of the invention to provide an economical clip construction whichreception thereby of a resilient metallic wire clip 1 to attain a resilient clipassembly which may be worn with comfort upon the ear Jlobes. The invention comprehends the combination or all types of ornamental surfaces with metallic abutton backs inhaccordance with the present invention, "so that earrings of :all types may .be had by different combinations of ornamental fronts with the :metallic backs such as ornamentalirbutton shells of metal, plastics, fabric or cabochons of alltypeal The invention proceeds uponthe principle of providing a channel functioning as :a pivotal seat for a spring clip by stamping. this channel in thebutton backat one side of thecenter thereof, which may be executed at the time of manufacture f the button .back as a part of the original stamping operation, and which may be supplemented by the stamping of a protuberance at the opposite side of the center o-fthe button at the point of engagement/of the end ofthe resilient'clip to obtain a more perfect gripping action "between the clip and button'back. Ornamentalsur'fa-ces of all types may be combined with the metal back by spinning an ornamental button shell around the flange of the button back, or by pressing the flange of the button back around the ornamental shell of metal or around aninsert of any other material such :as cabochons of all typesiwell known in the jewelry art. A

special spring ,clip of resilient metal wirehavtowardeach other andtowards the center of the button back in order to spread the sides of the spring clip when the latter is pivoted fromthe plane of the button back, which spreading of the arms acts against the resilient force of the quires no soldering, or the handling of sealing plasticsor complicatedtspring structures to adapt a conventional button back .for useas a clip which may be used as anearring or other orna-- merit-independent of., or in supplement to, a conventional set of buttons having similar ornament-ation. t

Other objects and purposes'will appear from the more detailed description of the invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a button back in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 21s .a rear view of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 3 isa :rear view correspondingto Fig. -2 showing the clip in raised position, at which time it exerts its tendency to return to its position shown in Fig. 1-; n

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view along line 44 of Fig. 1 with theclip shown in solid lines in its normal position, and in dotted lines in its raised position; i l n Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring clip element-Which may be used with the buttonback in accordance with the present invention to coinplete the economical and rugged assembly;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the finished earring in accordance with the present invention, illustrating an ornamental metallic button shell having the flange thereof surrounding the flange of the metallic back;

Fig. F! is a perspectiveview of afldifferent form r of the invention showing: the applicability of the 5 ring wire material to remain in undistended position, whereupon the release of the pivoting force causes the clip to return to its normal invention to button backs'whichare also adapted to be used as conventional buttons; and.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a button back of a difierent geometrical configurationshowing the alternate adaptability of the back to be used as a button oras a clip. 3 n

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawing is shown a .conventional circularnmetallic button back 8 which preferably is adapted to be stamped from metal sheeting with a surrounding flange l8 and which, inaddition, has a trapezoidal channel 6 stamped outwardly from the rear surface thereof terminating in spaced convergingly directed slits 5 which taper towards the centerof the button.

This trapezoidal channelis stamped atone side of the center of the button back along achordal line of the circular back and the slits taperto '55 wards the opposite side of the centerlineso that the minor parallel side 1 of the trapezoid is closer without departing from the spirit of my invento the center of the button back. A bifurcated tion; thescope of which is set forth in the anspring clip I of tempered steel or brass wir,.,afst,, 4

shown in enlarged scale in Fig. 5, is provided with two arms 2', 3', which terminate in inwardly extending trunnions 2 and 3 and have a common 1. An earring of the clip type comprising a back and an ornamental front mounted thereon, said back having a pair of spaced convergingly directed slits cut therein and the material between dis" placed from the plane of said back, said slits beis had between the junction end 4 of the clip and r the button back.

When the clip I is pivoted around its trunnions in the channel 6, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, the arms 2' and 3' move towards the wider portion of the channel by the camming action of the end edges or slits 5 to eifec't a spreading of the arms. The resilience of the arms is such that a force is exerted to return the clip to its normal position, which is done when the raising force is released, so that the lobe of an ear may be comfortablyengaged between the clip I and. the button back 8. The clip is so shaped that a partial spacing of the end 4 from the protuberance 9 results in a sufiicient space for the accommodation of an ear lobe. Furthermore, the channel 6 is disposed inwardly of the circumference so that no part of theclip is visible when the same is worn, while the extent of clip contact from adjacent one end of the button to the other results in an effective gripping action with maximum comfort to the wearer.

Fig. 6 shows an ornamental button shell H which may be of sheet metal orplastic, having a flange l2 spun around the flange of the button back.

,In Fig. '7 is shown a cabochon l3 which may be of plastic, onyx or any other ornamental material, which is adapted to be crimped by the flange l8 of the button back. In this View is shown as well, a conventional buttonhole channel which may be pressed into the button back in supplement to the channel 6 and protuberance 9, in order that the back may be adapted to alternative uses as a conventional button or as a clip.

In Fig. 8 is shown a buton back i 6 of hexagonal configuration having the pivotal channel seat 6 and protuberance 9 stamped therein in supplement to the buttonholes 19, so that the back may be used alternately as a clip or as a button. The invention may be applied as well to button backs of any geometric configuration or design.

It is understood that While the invention is particularly applicable to the adaptability of conventional metallic button backs to the use of earrings, the features thereof may as well be applied to other jewelry clips of an ornamental nature, or to other utilitarian clips. Also the resilient clip may be applied to backs of sheet material functioning in the same manner as sheet metal backs, which are extensively used at the present time. While I have described my invention as embodied in a specific form and as operating in a specific manner for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art mg disposed at one side of the center of said back and tapering towards each other towards the opposite side of said center of said back, and a resilient clip formed of spring wire having bifurcated arms terminating in transversely extending trunnions pivotally engaging said displaced material with the junction end of said arms normally adapted to abut the back, said last-mentioned end adapted to press resiliently towards said back when said clip is moved pivotally from said back, in consequence of the tensioning of the arms thereof by the engagement of said arms with the differently spaced portions of the back 7 between said slits.

2. An earring of the clip type comprising a metallic back and an ornamental front mounted thereon, said metallic back having a channel and a pair of spaced slits at the ends thereof pressed outwardly from the surface of said metallic back, said channel being disposed at one side of the center of said back and said slits tapering towards each other towards the opposite side of said center of said back, a small protuberance pressed outwardly from the surface of the metallic back at said last-mentioned side thereof and equidistantly of the ends of said channel, and a resilient clip formed of metallic spring wire having'bifurcated arms terminating in inwardly extending trunnions pivotally engaging said channel through said slits, with the junction end of said arms normally adapted to abut said protuberance on the metallic back, said last-mentioned end adapted to press resiliently towards said protuberance when said slip is moved pivotally from said back, in consequence of the spreading of the arms thereof by the engagement of said arms with the wider portion of said channel.

3. An earring of the clip type comprising a circular metallic back and an ornamental front channel through said slits with the junction end of said arms normally adapted to abut the metallic backat a point in the vertical center of said back opposite said chordal line, said last-mentioned end adapted to press resiliently towards said metallic back when said clip is moved pivotally from said back in consequence of the spreading' of the arms thereof by the engagement of said arms with the wider portion of said trapezoid-a1 channel adjacent to the major parallel side thereof.

4. A device as set forth in claim' 3 wherein a small protuberance is pressed outwardly from the surface of the metallic back at said point in the vertical center of said back opposite said chordal line to accentuate the resilient engagement beside of the center of said element and said slits.

tapering towards each othertowards the opposite side of said center of said element, and a resilient tantly of the ends of said channel, and a resilient clip formed of metallic spring wire having bifurcated arms terminating in inwardly extending clip formed of metallic spring Wire having bifurcated arms terminating in inwardly extending trunnions pivotally engaging said channel through said slits whereby the clip may be swung approximately 90 from the backing element, with the junction end of said arms normally adapted to abut the metallic backing element, said lastmentioned end adapted to return automatically towards said backing element when said clip is moved pivotally from said element in consequence of the spreading of the arms thereof by the engagement of said arms with the wider portion of i said channel. v i

6. A resilient clip assembly comprising a metallic back and an ornamental front mounted thereon, said metallic back having a channel andtrunnions pivotally engaging said channel through said slits whereby the clip may be swung approximately 90 from the plane of the metallic back, with the junction end of said arms normally adapted to abut said protuberance on said metallic back, said last-mentioned end adapted to return automatically towardsisaid metallic back when said clip is moved pivotally in saidchannel in consequence of the spreading of the arms thereof by the engagement of said arms with the ends of the Wider portion of said channel.

i 7. A resilient clip assembly comprising a backing element of sheet material having a pair of t convergingly directed camming slits stamped n from the surface of said backing element and forming camming edges displaced from the plane of said backing element, and a resilient clip formed of spring wire having bifurcated arms terminating in transversely extending trunnions adapted to fit resiliently into said camming slits and normally adjacent to' the surface of said backing element with the junction of said arms i normally abutting said backing element, said a pair of spaced slits at the ends thereof pressed outwardly from the surface of said metallic back, 7

said channel being disposed at one side of the center of said back and said slits taperingtowards each other towards the opposite sideof said center of said back, a small protuberance pressed outwardly from the surface of the metallic back at said last-mentioned side thereof and equidislast-mentioned junction adapted to press resiliently towards the surface of said backing element when said clip is moved pivotally therefrom, in consequence of the opposition of the natural resilience of said arms to the enforced movement of saidarms by said cammingedges.

LESLIEW. HUBBELL. 

